Summer Camp Fallacies I

I have many memories of idyllic teenage summers at camp in the mountains. The picture of worn but rustic red and white cabins spread over rolling hills is delightfully cliche. In the mountains, even short walks got the blood pumping. We slept in bunks, metal top and bottom twins beds. Whoever was stuck with the top bunk had to hoist themselves up and climb, as there were no ladders. I got used to the process within a few weeks, though, and could make it up in a few hops and little effort. Once the lights were turned out at night, we were expected to drift off to sleep relatively quickly, though random voices and chuckles always filled the air for a few minutes. We woke early, by 7am at the latest 6 days a week. It was one of only a few things that were tough about camp. We were startled out of bed by a camp wide PA system that mostly annoyed us to our feet. It was always chilly in the mornings, and as it usually goes, the first several minutes of consciousness every day are the hardest ones. Dragging the body up and out of bed always sent the chill of the outside air over every part of my body. It was difficult to resist climbing back into bed. It always warmed up quickly, though. Once we stretched, got our limbs moving and some food into our stomachs, we got ready for the day...

I tried to always make the days count. I always spent about 8 weeks living in a cabin and being active for hours each day. it sounds like a long time, but it passes much too quickly. It was the first time that I noticed my perception of time changing with age. I can't speak for everyone I was a camper with, but as far as my goals were concerned, lost time was wasted time. Having to develop a life with dozens of unfamiliar people for several months, calling the communal place "home" is an accelerated process. You could fall in love and divorce in one summer. It was an incredibly intense bond at that point in my life. It is also heartbreaking when you have to leave each other, having established such artificially life changing relationships. Everyone leaves certain that they have expanded their circle of friends ten fold, when in reality, many people end up with a lot of e-mail addresses and phone numbers that they never plan on using again. I have my own collection of such numbers. I guess it is easier to say "See ya later! Call me!" than it is to say "It's been fun! Have a nice life, because I know I am never going to see you again!", even if you don't want it to be true...